Electro magnetic clutch with ring like armatures



June 22, 1965 J. H. HEIDORN ELECTROYMAGNETIC CLUTCH WITH RING LIKE ARMATURES Original Filed July 15, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 22, 1965v J. H. HEIDORN ELECTRO MAGNETIC CLUTCH WITH RING LIKE ARMATURES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 15, 1959 www INVENTOR. Jofm H. Heider 2% HIS A 0R Y r/ June 22, 1965 J. H. HEIDORN ELECTRO MAGNETIC CLUTCH WITH RING LIKE ARMATURES Original Filed July 15, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 nvmvmn. Jaim H. Heiden: Y

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June 22, 1965 J. H. HElDoRN ELECTRO MAGNETIC CLUTCH WITH RING LIKE ARMATURES 4 sheets-sheet 4 Original Filed July l5, 1959 IN1/nvm. Jofm h. Hzidorn ar TTQRNf Y 5 United States Patent O 3,196,419 ELECTRG MAGNETIC QLUTCH WITH REW@ LIKE ARMATURES .John H. Heidorn, Dayton, Ohio, assigner to General Patent No. 3,tl$2,3il7, dated .lune 4, 1963. Divided and' this application July 25, i961, Ser. No. 126,683

2 Claims. (Cl. I92-84) This invention relates to refrigerating .apparatus and more particularly to a refrigerant compressor for use in automobile air conditioning systems and the like.

This is a division of application Serial No. 827,346, tiled July 15, 1959, now Patent No. 3,092,307.

A large number of problems present themselves in designing refrigerant compressors of the type which are adapted to be driven by a car engine either continuously or intermittently through a clutch. These problems result from the fact that the compressor is required to operate throughout a very wide speed range wherein the speed of lthe compressor bears no relationship to the refrigeration requirements. The problems are multiplied by the fact that the amount of space available for the compressor is very limited `and all of the parts must be of lightweight construction and arranged in a small casing.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compressor which is .adapted `to be driven from a car engine through an improved clutch arrangement.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a vertical sectional View showing a preferred form of .the invention.

, FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with parts broken away.

FIGURE 3 is `a sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the relationship of the oil pump housing to the drive shaft of the compressor.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of y FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

y FIGURE 6 is .a sectional view showing a modiied type of compressor.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 7 7 of FIGURE 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

. FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the clutch in the early stages of engagement.

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but showing the clutch fully engaged.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, referencenumerals 1t) and 12 designate complementary cup-shaped casing elements which serve to enclose a multiple cylinder compressor. These casing elements are made of sheet metal and have their open ends arranged in telescoping relationship, as best shown in FIGURE l.

lgdgilg Patented .lune 22, i965 The compressor consists of a cylinder block 14 which is supported within the casing element 12 and which is provided with four cylinder bores 16 which are symmetrically arranged about the main drive shaft 18. By virtue of using four cylinder bores arranged as shown, it is possible to utilize an outer casing which is substantially rectangular in cross section rather than using a cylindrical casing of the type most commonly used in automobile air conditioning compressors. This makes it possible to reduce the width and height of the compressor casing without reducing the capacity of the compressor.

Reciprocating piston elements 20 are disposed to operate within the bores 16 in `accordance with conventional practice. These piston elements are driven by the wobble plate assembly 22 through the usual connecting rods 24. The gas to be compressed enters through the usual suction line 28 which communicates with the low pressure suction chamber 3G formed in the cylinder head 32. The usual valve plate 34 is disposed between the cylinder head 32 and the cylinder block 14 and is provided with the usual series of inlet and outlet ports 36 and 38 respectively. The compressed gas leaves the compressor through Ithe outlet passage 40.

As best shown in FIGURES l and 3 of the drawings, the outlet valve reed 42 is circular in shape and has its central portion clamped firmly to the Valve plate 34 by means of a cap screw 44. rlfhe extent of opening of the reed valve 42 is limited by a rigid backup plate member 46. The valve plate 42 is provided with cutaway portions 48 which render it more iiexible and in elect divide the reed into four lobes which are tied together at their outer periphery. The backup plate 46, as shown in FIG- URE 3, is provided with lobes which overlie the outlet ports 38. By constructing the reed valve in the form of a single platelike element, the severity of the opening and closing movement of the valve plate is reduced since the compressed gas owing out `oi the one outlet port at a given time tends to retard the closing movement of the next preceding valve port and also tends to initiate the opening movement of the next succeeding valve port.

The main drive shaft l@ is supported for rotation withf in the casing section 1li by means of a first ball bearing assembly 5@ in which the inner ball race 51 is secured to the shaft 13 and the outer ball race 54 is carried by the end wall of the casing It). This first ball bearing assembly serves to take up the end thrust resulting from the wobble plate pushing against the piston elements. A second ball bearing assembly 52 is provided as shown and serves to take up the belt load. This second ball bearing .assembly is arranged directly in line with the belts 55 which drive the compressor pulley 56 secured to the outer ball race of the ball bearing assembly 52. It will be noted that the bearing sleeve member 54 which forms the outer ball race for the bearing assembly also forms the inner ball race of the ball bearing assembly 52 and is, in effect, an extension of the stationary housing element 1Q. By virtue of this bearing arrangement, the ball bearings and the associated ball races stand up much longer in service than the prior art arrangements as the bearing .assembly 52 takes the main belt load and the balls are always moving about in the races whenever the car engine operates.

The inner end of the drive shaft 1S is journaled in the cylinder block lill in such a manner that slight misalignvbest shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 of the drawings, the

the inner end of the drive shaft extends into a taperedY opening (shown somewhat exaggerated in FIGUREl 4)* in a member 60 which is adapted to rotate with the shaft 1S. As shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the shaft 18 is provided with ka flat portion 62 which cooperates` with a iat portion on the member 6i) so that the member 60 rotates with .the shaft 18 but due to the taper on the inner surface of .the member 6th-the shaft 1S needY not `line up exactly with the opening in thernember 6u,

The one end of the member 60is provided with an oil pumping chamber 64. The inner walls of the oil pumping chamber 64 are provided-with conventional gear teeth' projections 66 which lcooperate with conventional oil pumping gear .68 rotatablyk supported on a xed pin '76. Thus, .the gear element 68 in cooperation with the rotating member 6) servesto form a gear type oil pump-Which supplies oil under pressure to the various bearings requiring lubrication.

Referring now to FlGURE 1i of the drawings,vthe` bottom portion of the compressor casing serves as an oil sump and oil from this sump is pumped upwardly through the oilpassage 72 to the.' inlet side of the oil pump just described.. The oil fdischargesfrom thepurnp intoa engagement.

point where the drive shaft y'1% passes through the end Wall of the casing 10; Suitable O-ring seals 122 are provided, as shown, for preventing the leakage of gas between various parts ofthe vcompressor elements. v

In FIGURE 6 of the drawings, a modified form of the invention is shown. Like reference numbers have been used in FIGURESI and 6 to designate/identical parts or parts which are simil-ar in function. In the modification shown in FIGURE 6, a plain end lthrust bearing 209 is provided for the drive shaft 18. The main drive pulley 2112 is rotatably supported on the compressor housing by means of a ball vbearing assembly 2114 which is directly in line with the drive belts 55 so as to take up the belt load. The clutch for operating the compressor differs from the `clutch construction described hereinabove in that in place of using a clutch of the type wherein the clutch Ysurf-aces are mechanically held in engagement and the solenoid is merely lused to initiate `the operation of the clutch, the arrangement shown in FIGURE 6 utilizes a clutch of the typein which ythe'solenoid coil 206 holds the clutch in In the arrangement shown, the solenoid coil 206 which'corresponds to the solenoidy 90y of FIG- URE l is arranged in a circular groove Ztlformed in the outer face kof the pulley 2112.' Suitable nonm-agnetic machamber 74 which communicates with oil passage means 76 and 78 provided in the pin 70 and in the main shaft 1S. The oil is then fedrthrough the radial passage-79mV the wobble plate bearings.r y Y Y A coil spring Si! serves to bias the member 69 to the left as viewedin FIGURE V1. However, if the speedv of the compressor should become great enough so thatrthe quantity lof oil handled by the pump exceeds the amount Y of oil which can flow-through the oil feed passage '78,the'

te'riall 210 servesl to hold the solenoid 206 in place and also serves to support anY armature ring Y212v`vhich is arranged asV shown. Keyedk to the shaft 18- is an armature supporting plate assembly 214 which is heldlin place on the shaft 18 by means of a-nut 215. lThe plate assembly 214fcarries a iirst'ring like armature element 216 and a Y second ringlike Varmature*elementY 218.` The arma-ture excessiveoil pressure in .the pumpingr chamber will cause l the elements 6i? and the'V oil` pump gear 6g 'to move to the right, as viewed in FIGURE l, so as to automatically unload the oil pump. Y

' When no refrigeration is required, the compressor may be-declutched from the car engine and .the drive pulley 56 by means of the magnetic clutch shown in FIGURES 1 and 5. VThis clutch includes a solenoid 90 embedded in I; plate 232 tov-which the armature rings 216 and218 are secured. by means of rivets 2344., Armlike projections 236 formed onl the plate 232`fand having their extremities secured to the rigid plate'230 by means of rivets 233 enable the armature rings'216 and 21Sv to movey into and out of engagement with the complementary clutch surfaces'. The armature ring element 216 is slightly thicker than the element 218 with the resultthat when the solenoid 266 is .the pulley S6, as shown. Current is supplied to the sole'- Y noid 90 by means of a collector ring 92 cooperating with l a brush element 94 Vcarried by the fixed casing element 10. The soleniod coil 90 is adapted when energized to pull the `armature element 96 ,into frictional engagement vwith the surface 9S provided'onthe pulley 56. The oneV Side of the solenoid 90 is grounded to .the Vpulley S6 and in order to insure proper electrical connection between the pulley assembly and the rest of the compressor, a' spring pressed ground Contact 91. is provided, as shown, for

at all times making electrical connectionY between the` housing 19S ofthe pulley assembly and the shaft 18@ G g When the armature 96 first contacts the lsurface `98m responseto energzationof the solenoidttthe armature 96 will tend lto rotate with the pulley 56V with the result j,

that a series ofconventional spreader ballsltl will serve to forcethe velutch'plate 162 to the right, as viewed in FIGUREv 1,` so Vthat the friction material 1114. carried by the clutch plate 102 will engage thefclutch Y.surface 166 formed'on the clutch enclosing Vcasing element 10S.' The 'l first energized, .the armature element 216 will lmove into contact with the surfaces 220fand 222 (see FIGURE 8) and at a subsequent time, theA armature element 218 will V-rnove into frictiohalengagementwith the surfaces 224 and 226, as shownl in FIGURE 9.y n' The advantage of the 496,131j1iled March'23, 1955,V now Patent Number 27,907,426, issued October 6, 1959, to which reference may ybe made for` a more detailed explanation of the principle of operation'thereof.

While the `embodiments of thev present invention as l*herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be element 1% is secured to the pulley 56 so as to-rotate i therewith. A plate :element 111i which is keyedto theV drive shaft `18'is arranged between the armature 96 and the clutchV platel 1112.l This plate element is, secured-to,

the clutch plate 192 through'arpluralityA of arcuate spring members 112, as best shown in FIGURE 5. One endof Y each of lthe spring arms 112 iis secured to the plate 110 bymeans of Va rivet 114 and the otherV end of eachof the spring arms is secured to the'plate 102 by means lof understood that other forms lmightbe adopted.

7 What is claimed is as follows: Y

1'. 'In combination, a casing, ya driveshaft extending through one wall of said casing, a pulley rotatably supported on theend wall of said casing, one portion of said pulley surrounding the outer end of said drive shaft, an

electromagnet disposed inthe outerfacel of said pulley,

a pairlof ring-like armaturesgmeans'l for drivingly connecting-said pair ofnring-like armatures to said shaft, re-

' armatures, said pair of ring-like armatures uponenergization offsaid 'electromagnet moving, selectivelyV into engagement'with'the outer face of said pulley with said second ring-like armature engaging said pulley ahead of the engagement by said first ring-like armature.

2, In combination, acasing, a drive shaft extending through one wall of said casing, a pulley rotatably supported on the end wall of said easing, one portion of said pulley surrounding the outer end of said drive shaft, an electromagnet disposed in the outer face of said pulley, a pair of concentrically arranged ring-like armatures, a plate element rigidly secured to said shaft, a flexible member secured to said rigid plate including first and second portions for supporting each of said ring-like armatures for relativel movement into engagement with the outer face of said pulley upon energization of said electromagnet, -a rst of said ring-like armatures being biased away from said outer face of said pulley a greater distance than the other of said ring-like armatures whereby upon energization of said electromagnet said second ringlke armature engages said pulley ahead of the engagement by said rst ring-like armature.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/98 Olin 230-15 9/40 Weydell 192-40 3/47 Hewitt et al 230-15 11/53 Doebeli 192-40 12/53 Dale 103-23 2/54 Bayles 103-23 3/56 Mergen et al.

6/57 Pierce.

10/59 Jacobs 192-40 6/60 Knight 230-15 7/62 Bernard 192-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 8/45 France.

DAVID I. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

20 LAURENCE V. EFNER, Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A CASING, A DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH ONE WALL OF SAID CASING, A PULLEY ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON THE END WALL OF SAID CASING, ONE PORTION OF SAID PULLEY SURROUNDING THE OUTER END OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT, AN ELECTROMAGNET DISPOSED IN THE OUTER FACE OF SAID PULLEY, A PAIR OF RING-LIKE ARMATURES, MEANS FOR DRIVINGLY CONNECTING SAID PAIR OF RING-LIKE ARMATURES TO SAID SHAFT, RESILIENT MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PAIR OF RING-LIKE ARMATURES ON SAID CONNECTING MEANS FOR RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER, A FIRST OF SAID RING-LIKE ARMATURES BEING LOCATED AWAY FROM THE OUTER FACE OF SAID PULLEY A GREATER DISTANCE THAN THE SECOND OF SAID RING-LIKE ARMATURES, SAID PAIR OF RING-LIKE ARMATURES UPON ENERGIZATION OF SAID ELECTROMAGNET MOVING SELECTIVELY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER FACE OF SAID PULLEY WITH SAID SECOND RING-LIKE ARAMTURE ENGAGING SAID PULLEY WITH SAID SECENGAGEMENT BY SAID FIRST RING-LIKE ARMATURE. 